Godolphin walked away from Park Paddocks with 18 new recruits from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, with Sheikh Mohammed's haul costing a combined 22,020,000 guineas (US$30,167,400, 1 guinea=US$1.37), the biggest spend by an individual organization across the three-day auction.
The most expensive of those was secured midway through the concluding session Oct. 10 when the outfit outbid Coolmore at 3.7 million guineas (US$5,069,000) for the Siyouni half sister to Ylang Ylang from Newsells Park Stud.
"She's an exceptional filly to look at and a half sister to a group 1 winner," said Anthony Stroud. "She looked like she had a wonderful temperament, she moved well. She's by a wonderful stallion, out of a mare who's produced a group 1 winner, from a very good farm. She ticked all the boxes."
The leading agent also shared his market reflections, saying: "The market for fillies seems to have absolutely ballooned. When the market is up to such an extent it's very difficult to anticipate what value these horses will make. I thought these top fillies were all beautifully well-bred and beautifully presented too.
"I'm surprised by how buoyant it has been, but when you get all these organizations coming in it's really propelled the market to a different stratosphere. It shows how strong and varied the market is."
The 3.7 million guineas filly was the third-top lot at this year's record-busting renewal of Book 1, and the fifth-most expensive in the blue-chip auction's history. She was bred in partnership by Newsells Park and Craig Bennett's Merry Fox Stud.
Bennett, standing besides Newsells Park owner Graham Smith-Bernal, reacted to the transaction by saying: "It's tremendous. I'm very pleased. Graham's team have done a brilliant job. The dam just keeps on giving and we're very lucky to have her."
Smith-Bernal picked up the thread, adding: "It's hard to believe where this market is at. We knew she was very special, reflected by the fact she had so many vettings, and look at the way she conducted herself here. She's just a beautiful filly.
"We wish the new owners all the very best, and we're very happy because we have a Frankel (foal) sister to Ylang Ylang on the ground and she's back in foal carrying a Frankel colt. We'll probably keep sending her to Frankel, or maybe Siyouni!"
The Newsells Park man also provided an update on Ylang Ylang's 2-year-old Kingman half brother Kaizen, who was knocked down to Qatar Racing and China Horse Club for 425,000 guineas at last year's Book 1.
He said: "I still retain a stake in the Kingman colt, who's with John Gosden and is called Kaizen. The feedback from Oisin Murphy recently was this could be a special colt. We'll retain the filly foal."
Earlier in the day Godolphin went to 1.6 million guineas for the Sea The Stars sister to 2023 Prix de Royallieu (G1) winner Sea Silk Road, who was offered by Kildaragh Stud.
"We were very keen on Sea Silk Road when she went to the sales," said Stroud. "I thought she was a very nice filly, a smaller type of Sea The Stars. She looked very racy and it's a wonderful pedigree. I think she'll be a valuable asset once she's finished racing for the paddocks."
The filly cost more than 11 times what Sea Silk Road fetched at Book 1 as she was knocked down to the Tsui family's Sunderland Holding at 190,000 guineas in 2020.
The result was a personal best for Kildaragh, and the farm's Peter Kavanagh said: "Funnily enough it hasn't been ecstatic for us up until now. We've had things that were just short of the top tier and it's not as buoyant there. But when you hit the home run you don't know where it will stop. Just everything needs to align and come together. You have a set of 36 x-rays and anything on one of those can turn half your purchasers away."
Godolphin also went to seven figures, a round 1 million guineas, for the Mehmas half brother to three-time group 1 winner Perfect Power, who joined the Dalham Hall Stud roster in 2023. Bred and offered by Tally-Ho Stud, the colt becomes comfortably the most expensive yearling by Mehmas.
Tally-Ho's Tony O'Callaghan summed up the mood on the grounds, saying: "It's been an amazing week. There's never been a Book 1 like this, never. And no one predicted it. It's incredible. Long may it last because it's good for everyone, and the breeding side (of the industry) needed it badly."
The Mehmas colt is out of Sagely, who was added to the Tally-Ho broodmare band at a cost of just 42,000 guineas in 2017. As well as breeding 2021 Prix Morny (G1), 2021 Middle Park Stakes (G1), and 2022 Commonwealth Cup (G1) winner Perfect Power, she has also produced the listed-placed Golden Mind.
Reflecting on the seven-figure transaction, O'Callaghan said: "I'm delighted. As the week went on people seemed to like him more and more, and the stallion has been very good for the last few months, which is a big help. We bought the mare for 42,000 guineas at the December sales a few years ago and she's done well too."
